Transforming the landscape of the Moullet House
The Moullet House with expanded patio and seating. Rendering by Anthony Grumbine.
Thank you for your help in meeting our fundraising goal of $15,000 for a new and transformative project in El Presidio de Santa Bárbara SHP, improvements to the intersection adjacent to the Moullet House at 834 Santa Barbara Street. This City Structure of Merit was built by J.F. Moullet as a home for his family in 1896. In addition to being one of few 19th century brick buildings in Santa Barbara, its decorative wood details visually anchor this intersection at the heart of El Pueblo Viejo. In 1932 the building housed the branch headquarters for the Kuomintang, or Chinese Nationalist Party, as this part of the neighborhood evolved into New Chinatown. In the mid-20th century, new store windows were added, and the building housed a succession of small businesses, including a liquor store and a printing company. El Presidio SHP tenant Panino has occupied the building since 2012.
Castagnola Liquor circa late 1960s, early 1970s.
The overgrown lighting fixture and planter.
During this time when we are all pondering the future of Santa Barbara’s downtown, and looking forward to welcoming visitors back, you helped improve the streetscape in a significant intersection in the urban center of our community. We plan to reduce the amount of asphalt and expand the brick patio to restore the appearance of a front entry to this Victorian home. We will add above-ground planters as vehicle barriers to expand outdoor dining, and restore the vintage planter and curious light fixture, which was added in sometimes in the 1970s.
Asphalt area, near Panino seating, that will be replaced with brick and lined with planters.
The earliest known photo of the Moullet House, showing widening for new shop windows.
